UConn’s males’s and ladies’s basketball groups are each within the Elite Eight concurrently for the primary time since 2014. One other notable truth? Each gained their respective championships that yr. Oh, and the identical factor occurred in 2004.
There may be nonetheless a whole lot of basketball left to play earlier than doubtlessly lifting the trophy, however Saturday was already an thrilling day for UConn followers. Dan Hurley’s males’s group noticed an unimaginable 30-0 run towards Illinois. In the meantime, the ladies’s group simply performed in this system’s thirtieth consecutive Candy 16.
Though the boys’s group has been a heavy favourite to defend their nationwide title, Geno Auriemma’s girls’s squad would’ve been excused for not even making it this far. It is not that the ladies’s group is not proficient — they’ve set the usual by means of the years — however the 2023-24 Huskies have been counting on a seven-player rotation as a result of accidents and inexperience.
Auriemma’s group was trying like one of many strongest groups within the nation throughout preseason, however then 5 Huskies suffered season-ending accidents.
The Huskies nearly had a significant slip up late within the sport towards Duke. After trailing by 20 within the third quarter, the Blue Devils had climbed again to make it a five-point sport with beneath a minute remaining. The primary perpetrator?
“The fatigue issue grew to become an enormous concern as a result of it compelled us to vary our sport plan,” Auriemma mentioned postgame. “We obtained up 20 as a result of we simply pushed it, pushed it, pushed it. After which I felt like, ‘OK. We want a breather right here or we’re not going to have the ability to end the sport.'”
Regardless of taking that breather, the Huskies obtained it executed behind a 24-point efficiency by redshirt junior guard Paige Bueckers. She additionally contributed 5 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Bueckers gained 11 main awards in 2021 throughout her freshman season, however she sat out all of final season with a torn ACL. She is again to her common self, having led UConn with 21.9 factors per contest this season, whereas additionally bettering her protection.
For sure, the Huskies are glad to have her again.
“I am not likely shocked when the ball goes within the hoop for her,” senior ahead Aaliyah Edwards mentioned. “Among the strikes that she will get main as much as the bucket is fairly spectacular, however that is simply how Paige performs basketball, and it is stunning to look at.”
Edwards has been one other dominant participant for UConn. She entered Saturday’s sport averaging 17.5 factors and 9.5 rebounds per contest. She was UConn’s key participant final yr, after they made it to the Candy 16 however fell quick towards Ohio State.
UConn solely checked in six gamers towards Duke, however the group nonetheless obtained the job executed. Earlier this weekend, Auriemma mentioned not having many gamers accessible turns into more durable in March due to what’s at stake. Nonetheless, he mentioned this group appears to have a bit of additional power this time round.
“We aren’t as mentally or bodily worn out like we have been final yr at the moment,” Auriemma defined. “I believe having Paige makes us a bit of extra assured than perhaps we have been final yr at the moment. I believe [KK Arnold] provides us a special ingredient that we did not have final yr at the moment. I’d say these two issues most likely are the largest distinction.
“There’s a whole lot of similarities, too, sadly. It would not really feel the identical. I believe our practices and all the things that we have executed main as much as this feels a bit of bit totally different than it did final season… I believe we’re in a greater mind set than we have been final yr.”
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